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Stewart Shernan,

Category: Dental

Satisfied Customers: 372

Experience: Owner, Practitioner at Stewart D. Shernan, DMD

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I have a & complicated situation. I hope I can get some type

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Hi there. I have a long & complicated situation. I hope I can get some type of professional advice from a dentist's point of view. I had a discoloration on my front left tooth (#9?) & wanted to get a veneer to fix it. The dentist I got introduced to who I felt comfortable with recommended getting two of my front teeth done to make it symmetrical & cohesive. So I trusted her & started the process. I had the temps on (which looked horrible, but didn't judge), then finally got the permanent ones. Omg. They looked HORRIBLE!!! Two beaver teeth, that was yellow compared to my other teeth. Too bulky, too yellow, wasn't transparent, I was just distraught. I expressed this concern to my dentist & she recommended getting my entire EIGHT teeth done. 8 bc when I smile, my 8 teeth was visible. In fear that I didn't want to have a smile like a beaver, I agreed. Need I remind you, I had perfect white teeth. Just that one (tooth #9). Soooo...my 8 temporary veneers looked horrible, but I again didn't j

Soooo...my 8 temporary veneers looked horrible, but I again didn't judge & waited for my permanent ones. I went into the lab to get a custom shade done & went back for a second time to finalize my teeth. When I went into the lab, I was pretty excited to see my final teeth. Only to find out that I was confused! They were a lot longer than my teeth, the SHAPE of my teeth were different. They were too narrow at the root & it curved in. I told the technician my concerns & I told him to make my teeth more square. He said, ok. The only thing I liked was the color & how transparent he made it. OK! So, after I thought the tech made adjustments, I went to my dentist to get my permanent ones cemented. After it was completed, she showed me the results and I was instantly NOT happy. I had BIG visible holes between every teeth that looked like dark plaque, the teeth were way too long & it just didn't look right. There were also a gap between my teeth. Like, my teeth weren't touching each other. I could also feel the air coming out of my teeth & noticed I was lisping. My dentist told me that my gums were irritated because of my temporaries & it'll grow back. I didn't believe it because the holes were that big. I waited a couple of weeks (I was gone during Christmas) & thought my guns will get better. NOPE! I still had huge holes between my gums & the gap was still there. I told this to my dentist & she agreed with how things were & told me that we should RE-START the front 6 teeth. CURRENTLY, I have my 6 temporaries (which broke twice now & looks even more horrible than my other temps), and I am patiently waiting to get my final results. At this point, I can't trust my doctor & I am VERY skeptical. I haven't gone to another dentist because she was willing to work with me. After I did my research, find out that my dentist only carried America Dental Association, but NOT in Cosmetic Dental Association. Did I make a mistake?? What do I do at this point?? This has cost me $8,350 cash! Please any recommendations on what my action should be is truly appreciated.

As a dentist who has focused on cosmetic dentistry for a very long time, I can tell you that Cosmetic veneer makeovers can be challenging to predict. But discussion about the patients esthetic wishes are important. Doing on or even two veneers on your front teeth (centrals) is very difficult, esthetically. But it often is done to a patient's satisfaction. If the veneers look large and bulky it is possible that more tooth structure needed to be removed to allow for the thickness of the porcelain. Alteratively the veneers may have been construceted too thick. Usually the problem is inadequate tooth structure removal. It sounds as though your current veneers taper too much "cervically" (toward the gum line. Perhaps the formm= should be more "square" This should be discussed with your dentist, ideally before the procedure is started, of course. As for the spaces in between your teeth : Teeth generally should to be in contact ("interproximal contacts") to optimize the conditions for dental health. This should be addressed imo. Perhaps talk with the dentist who placed the veneers about your specific esthetic goals. I always asked my patients to bring a few photos of smiles they liked. While it is impossible to duplicate one person's smile on another individual, it gives the dentist AND the lab a better idea of the cosmetics you're looking for. Regarding association membership. Being a member of a cosmetic dental association doesn't guarantee excellence of work, although it suggests a specific interest. Cosmetic Dentistry is not regarded as a specialty, technically. The most important factor is the dentist's actual experience - and, of course talent. Cosmetic Dentistry is an art of sorts. Ideally, the dentist who placed the veneers can satisfy your concerns. If not, perhaps you may need to discuss your dilemna directly with the doctor. He or she will probably wish to satisfy you regarding your concerns.